Destinations in Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal became the 27th
state of the Republic of India on the 9th of November 2000. The State
is carved out of the northern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is bounded by
U.P. on the South, Nepal on the East, Himachal Pradesh on the west and
China on the northeast. The geographical area of the state is 53,483
sq.km. It ranks at 18th place and it's share is 1.69% in the area of
the country as a whole. Geographically, it is situated in the central
Himalayan zone. It extends between 77o 34' and 81o 02' E longitude and
28o 43' to 31o 27' N latitude. Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding
natural beauty. Most of the northern parts of the state are covered by
the high Himalayan ranges and glaciers, while the lower reaches are
densely forested. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large
number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and
tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of India's mightiest rivers, the
Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and
are fed by innumerable lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.
The topography of Uttaranchal is characterized by hilly terrain,
rugged and rocky Mountains, deep valleys, high peaks, sharp streams
and rivulets, rapid soil erosion, frequent landslides and widely
scattered habitations. Char-dhams, the four most sacred and revered
Hindu temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are
nestled in the Mighty Mountains. Capital of Uttaranchal is Dehradun
which is also the rail-head in the region. The High Court is situated
in the district of Nainital. The region is also known as Uttarakhand.

People

Uttaranchal has traditionally been divided into two parts, the eastern
region going by the name of Kumaon and the western half known as
Garhwal. The native people of Uttaranchal call themselves Paharis
(hill people), the majority of whom are Hindus. Other ethnic
communities in the region include Gujjars and Nepalis. Garhwal
resembles other parts of the Himalayas where various ethnic groups
live side by side. Following chiefly the agrarian-pastoral way of
life, native Garhwalis make their living from the hilly land the best
they can. Kumaon The inhabitants of the Kumaon hills are commonly
known as the Kumaonese. They belong to a predominantly patriarchal
society, which recognizes the superiority of men over women. The
social structure is based on the extended family system, the eldest
male member being the head of the family. Women are respected in
society but they usually confine themselves to household activities.
No religious ceremony is considered complete without the wife joining
the husband. Women also work in the fields and forests alongside the
men. In Kumaon, bigamy or polygamy has religious sanctions but
polyandry is prohibited. Widow marriage and re-marriage by divorced
women is permitted except in certain sections of high-caste Brahmins
and Rajputs. Child marriage is still practiced in all classes of
society despite legal restrictions on it. It has all but disappeared
from the educated society.